A two-year-old Brantford girl has been found safe after an Amber Alert was issued early Thursday morning. Police says the father “orchestrated a ruse” so that he could take the child. He showed up at the mother’s home on Bissett Avenue around midnight with a number of other people. Once the front door was opened, the father kicked in the back door and allegedly assaulted the mother and another person in the home. He then took the two-year-old and fled in a vehicle with the three people he had arrived with at Bissett Avenue. Officers arrived at the home shortly afterwards and treated the victims for minor injuries. It was believed the father was at residence in Hamilton, but a search turned up nothing. At some point they were able to contact the father but he wouldn’t say where he and the child were located. As a result, an Amber Alert was issued. The father’s vehicle was found in Hamilton around 2 a.m. Police arrested three people but there was no sign of the father and child. The father turned himself in to Hamilton Police around 4 a.m. and the little girl was found unharmed. “We want to thank everybody involved, from out media partners to the community and our policing partners for the successful completion of this case,” says Cst. Shane Seibert. Police say they’re still investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident and the involvement of all parties. Shawn Jason McManus, 37, is facing multiple charges including abduction, assault, and uttering threats. Brantford Police say, similar to past Amber Alerts, they received "a number of complaints" to the early morning messages. One person called 11 times to complain about getting a text. They said in a statement: "Time is critical in saving the lives of abducted children, and with time comes a growing geography of concern. Once a child is abducted there is no way to determine the exact location the abductor is headed. As the abductor could travel quickly, it is important to alert the entire province. The abductor or vehicle information may be known to people in other areas of the province and issuing the alert province wide may result with more information to assist with the investigation. The decision to utilize the Ontario Amber Alert is based on established criteria, and is never taken lightly."
